Home Coming
by Blood Red Kiss of Death
Summary: Don't tell on me. I'm not ready to be found.


**Title:** Home Coming  
**Characters:** Serena, Chuck  
**Rating/Word Count:**PG-13 | 781  
**One-Line Excerpt:** Don't tell on me. I'm not ready to be found.  
**Author's Note:** This is based on the following picture. (just remove all spaces)

i561 . photobucket . com / albums/ ss60/ artemisphoenix/screen_caps/burnthecity/challenge2CS . jpg

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"Hi, honey, I'm home!"

Chuck Bass stared at the girl in his doorway. Bright smile, shiny hair, sparkling blues, casual attire – like it was a normal morning. Which is it – a normal morning. Except the fact that wasn't she supposed to be at boarding school?

Serena van der Woodsen frowned when he remained silent. Pouting at his goldfish stare, she looked him up and down. "What happened to you?" she shrieked, taking in the suspenders and the tie – real tie, not a bowtie that Chuck Bass was known for. "Did Bart die and you inherit his kingdom, and then decide to cross middle-aged businessman with your usual flamboyant flare of style?" She glanced him up and down again and leaned in, whispering, "Hint, not working!" And then she burst into giggles.

He blinked. "Serena?"

She nodded. "So, can I come in? It's impolite to keep guests waiting. Don't you listen to Blair?" hands on her hips, trying to look stern like her best friend, but failing because she couldn't wipe off her smile.

"What are you doing here?" Last he saw, she was taking Nathaniel's virginity on a barstool. And within the next 48 hours, both Nate and Blair were crying to him about her disappearance.

She pouted with real hurt and sadness. "Didn't you miss me?"

"I…yeah, but…boarding school?" he stumbled. Of course he missed her. She was his party girl, up for anything, anytime. Neither other half of the foursome could compare to the wildness of his party princess.

"Boring!" she rolled her eyes, sadness all gone. "So I decided to return. Can I stay with you?" she nearly hopped up and down.

"Why?" _Why me?_ When Blair needed her most right now – Connecticut wasn't sheltered enough to keep the Waldorf marriage scandal a secret from Serena – or Nate and their forbidden feelings.

She shrugged. "Don't want Lily to know, is all." _Don't tell on me. I'm not ready to be found._

After a moment of understanding, Serena bent to the side, picked up a cage, and walked in, right past him. "No, Chuck. I will not sleep in your bed. I am a chaste young woman and that kind of behavior is unacceptable. For shame," she teased.

He blinked, not listening to her _wit_, and turned around, door closing behind him. "What is that?" he pointed to the _thing_ in her hand.

"Oh!" She held the cage up. "This is Snowflake. She's my bunny. But don't worry, Dad, I'll feed her and clean up after her without you worrying," she giggled.

"Are you high?" Of course she was. That's just how they were; how they survived day-to-day in this world.

"Maybe," she said coyly. "But since when is that a problem for you? Are you sad I didn't ask you to join first?" she pouted. "I'm sorry, Chuck." And then she brightened up. "But we can do shots later tonight!" And then her eyes went wide with a thought. "Oh, body shots, too!"

He strolled over to her and gripped her shoulders. Her blue eyes were glazed over. Suddenly, she kissed his lips and then giggled before twirling out from his grasp. "Party, yes?"

"What about Snowflake?" eyes on her lips, and then slowly taking in the rest of her body: her breasts, the place where her _necklace_ ended, the miles of leg.

"Um…" Serena set the cage on the coffee table. "Well, she can't do shots. Tequila would probably kill her," she said seriously and then whispered as if the bunny was her mother, "We can sneak out."

She fluttered her lashes at him. "Please, Charles!" She tried to sound stern, but ended up in a fit of giggles.

He glanced at his watch. It was four in the afternoon. "Fine, but two conditions."

"Yes, sir!" she stood at attention.

"We stop by a pet store and let them," he paused to find a word, "bunnysit, and then we have dinner before the party." Because they were going to get wasted – and probably get posted all over Gossip Girl come morning, thereby announcing Serena's return – and he wanted a full stomach so he could drink more. Especially for the morning hounding he'll get from Blair and Nate.

It took her a minute to take in the words, and then she glanced at the animal. "Oh, okay. But I'm not five," she sighed. "You're gonna give her away. You don't need to lie to me, mister." She sighed again and let the silence take over for a minute – in mourning the loss of anonymity – and beamed. "Now, let's party!" Serena took another glance at his appearance and raised an eyebrow. "But, change first. I miss the color suits."

**.end.**


End file.
